When it comes to fixing problems, the first step is to acknowledge you have a problem in the first place.
That’s certainly what the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have done following their recent Caribbean tour which grabbed headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Palace insiders have revealed the couple want to be addressed by their first names and not their titles in what would be a huge shake-up of royal protocol.
Sources say they want to appear more approachable, less formal and less stuffy. They also want to see the back of bowing and curtsying in public.
The couple have realised that to stay relevant to a younger generation they need to move with the times. And they seem to be taking a leaf out of Prince Harry ’s book with all this “just call us Wills and Kate stuff”.
It is definitely a step in the right direction. We should be striving for a more egalitarian society, to break down the barriers between the haves and have nots.
But a few small tweaks here and there in royal protocol are not going to cut it.
Another big step would be sending George, Charlotte and Louis to the nearest state school – that would be putting their offspring where their mouth is.
And they need ideas that will really make a difference to people’s lives. Prince Philip was far from perfect, but there is no doubt his Duke of Edinburgh Awards scheme has had real impact. Similarly The Prince’s Trust, set up by Prince Charles has helped hundreds of thousands of young people across the country.
Yes, the Cambridges support many charities, they have their Heads Together mental health initiative, and only last week Kate took on a new role as patron of the Maternal Mental Health Alliance (MMHA), a network of more than 100 organisations. But none have captured the imagination in the same way as William’s father and grandfather managed to do.
Perhaps now, if they really want to show things are changing, they need to make a grand gesture like pledging to donate space inside royal palaces to the nation when they eventually ascend the throne.
Times are changing and they need to change with them if they want the royal institution to be relevant for generations to come.
